Murder On An Autumn Night
by mikage-aya
Summary: (AU)Four teenagers went to a haunting site in hopes of pacifying a vengeful spirit. But they discover that they may have gotten more than they asked for. Pls read and review. Pairing include MS IK
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei.

Author notes: This is a one-shot thing that I just came up with. It's a spur of moment thing that is supposed to leave you readers with lots of questions and guessing. I hope you'll enjoy reading this. Warning, it's quite dark, with some violence and blood and gore. Feel free to speculate. It's part of the fun.

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**Murder On An Autumn Night**

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The dream always began the same way; with the sound of a swish to warn him of the impending danger. He ran, trying to get away but as always, he was too late. Before he knew it, the arrow had pierced through his chest, pinning him to the tree behind him.

And as always, the pain hit him like a ton of bricks. It was so perfectly exquisite, and excruciating. He futilely tried to reach for the arrow, to pull it out, and let his hanyou healing save him. But to his dismay, the arrow was enchanted.

"Hama...no....ya..."he gasped out, flinching involuntarily from the purifying energies. A figure slowly walked out from the shadows, familiar and graceful. He wanted to scream as the shadows parted to reveal his murderer's face.

"Why....why did you do this?" He panted, his feet dangling a few inches from the ground. The pain started to spread from his chest to all parts of his body.

The miko looked at him evenly, without a trace of remorse. "Because I love him."

He would have said something more, but at the same moment, the purifying energies coursed through his body. He let out a deep scream, as every single cell in his body undergo an irreversible change. He felt violated, as if something is trying to burn him inside. Every part hurts, even his hair. He wanted to slash at things, to vent his pain and anger. But there was nothing he could do except to writhe in agony and prayed for a merciful end.

But his prayers were not answered. The purification torture continued for what seemed like eternity. And his murderer was standing before him, a silent witness to his humiliation and suffering.

When it finally ended, he let out a soft sigh of relief. His body automatically slumped forward from the abuse he had just endured. His eyes were about to close any moment now and he prepared mentally to breathe his last.

To his horror, the hair that fell in front of his face as he slumped forward was black. He lifted his face, his body contorted in agony and glared at the miko who was standing just a few feet away.

He had become a human.

In hindsight he should have supposed he should have expected it. Afterall he was a hanyou. That means he would not die from purification.

No. He would die from the arrow wound in his chest.

The night was strangely silent. The moon was shinning brightly. It was a clear autumn night. Nothing could be heard, except his own heavy breathing.

And the sound of his blood dripping onto the ground.

"Why?" he plead, his eyes begging for an answer. A single word that encompassed so many questions.

_Why kill me?_

_Why betray me?_

_Why love him?_

The miko want to feel remorse, to feel anything except the cold emptiness within her heart. Some part of her recoiled in horror at what she had done, that this night, innocent blood was spilt.

She supposed she owed him an answer for what happened. But sometimes, the truth is better left alone. Ignorance might be the last kindness she could give him, she mused. It's better for him not to know the real reason for his murder.

So she left, as softly as she came, leaving nothing in her wake except a dying hanyou pinned to a tree, pleading for answers.

He watched as she left, gasping for breath every second. The slight movement of his body as he tried to gulp in air caused the shaft embedded in his chest to grind against his ribs, causing another kind of pain that was just as excruciating. Blood began to fleck his lips as he coughed softly. With a sudden clarity, he knew he was going to die tonight, alone, in a painfully slow manner.

Dimly, some part of his mind wondered how he would die, be it from drowning in his own blood due to a punctured lung, or excessive blood loss from his chest wound, or perhaps a slow case of asphyxiation as he struggled for each breathe, hanging slightly from the ground by an arrow. Black spots started to appear in his vision, even as the shaft continued to torture him by pinning him like a helpless specimen.

He wasn't afraid of death; by now he would almost welcome it, if only to rid himself of this agony. But he wanted answers.

And he cannot rest in peace until he found them.

Tears started to slide down his cheeks, warm and salty. They silently joined their brethren under his feet, where his blood started pooling. He supposed he could wrench the arrow free now, the enchantment would not hurt him anymore.

Once again, he raised his hand up, struggling to reach the arrow. It was the last thing she gave him, and it hurt so much.

And he just wanted it to stop hurting.

Somehow it was getting harder to breathe, his mind started to drift from the lack of sufficient oxygen to his brain. He stiffly reached for the arrow, fingers curling around the protruding portion of the shaft from his chest.

He wanted to pull it out, really, he wanted to. But as his fingers curled around the shaft, a soft sigh escaped his lips.

And he breathed his last.

The fingers loosen themselves from the shaft as the hanyou, no, human boy's spirit fled his broken body. No one noticed a tear falling as his eyes closed slowly, those violet orbs never to see light again. The tear hit the pool of blood with a small splash, a small mournful reminder of a life extinguished. No one would know of his passing, and no one would care.

That's when the dream ended, and he always wakes up in cold sweat. He supposed he should see a psychiatrist for help.

And he would too.

Just as soon as his chest stopped bleeding.

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Please read and review. It would make me very happy.

P.S Hama no Ya means purifying arrow. It is the kind of arrow that Kikyou, Kagome and generally miko can produce to destroy Youkai.

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	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei.

Author notes: Somehow the idea won't leave me, even after writing that one-shot. So I decided to perhaps convert in into a multi-chapter fic. I don't know if I have the time to consistently update for this; but I do hope I can finish it. If the theme of it is overplayed, forgive me. I've seen many stories of Kagome or Inuyasha as a ghost but I hope my idea is still original enough. In case you guys are wondering, the person having that dream in the prologue is Akira.

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**Chapter 1: Meet the Cast and See the ghost...**

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_Hi my name is Yashagawa Akira I am nineteen this year and this is my first year in Tokyo University. I am an orphan and no relatives. I have long black hair that swept past my lower back and violet eyes. My hobbies include reading, gaming and sleeping. I am currently majoring in history and sociology and I hope to become a teacher after I graduate. I am also holding a part time job now; working in a detective agency set up by my best friends, Miroku and Sango. We are youkai exterminators....._

"Hey Akira, what are you writing about?" a voice playfully called out as the piece of paper in Akira's hands was snatched away.

"Damn it, Miroku. Don't scare me like that." Akira grumbled. "And give me back my paper."

The boy named Miroku smirked and started to read the paper. "Oh my gosh, Aki, what's this? A penpal application form? Are you so desperate to get laid?"

"Fuck you, Miroku." Akira grabbed the paper back. "I don't want a girlfriend. I just want a friend."

"Yeah right, Aki. That's why you write such lame stuff on your paper? Oh man, you can't say you are a youkai exterminator, no one would believe you."

Aki laughed. "Actually I intended to use this paper as a sort of advertisement for our agency. Don't you think our business had been pretty poor recently? I mean, that's what, three cases in the past six months, and all of them, prank jokes? We need to do active marketing."

Miroku slapped his forehead and laughed. "You don't need the money, Akira. Why worry?"

Akira nodded. "I don't need it, but Sango does. You know her family situation. Her father is quite sick recently and she's barely able to get a loan from the bank for this semester's tuition fees. I don't want to see her so troubled, you know."

Miroku's face turned seriously. "Me too. I tried to lend her some cash, but she refused."

"You know her. She's got pride. She won't take your money, no matter what you say. Now, if you become her boyfriend, that's another issue. But you are such a lecher and she just can't trust you."

"Hey, I told you it's a family curse."

"And I told you its bullshit remember?" Akira retorted.

The two buddies sat under the trees and laughed together. Akira, Sango and Miroku were friends since secondary school. Akira was an orphan, but his parents left him a huge sum of inheritance so he never had to worry for his meals. Sango came from a family of youkai exterminators. Unfortunately, their business dwindled since nobody believed in youkai or the supernatural anymore. Sango's father does odd jobs here and there to try and make ends meet. Miroku claimed to come from a line of prestigious monks but his parents also died since he was young. Currently, he's living with his foster parent, Mushin, in a small apartment.

Akira never meant to set up the agency with Sango and Miroku. It was meant as a joke initially, to offer their services to public. Sango has her youkai exterminating skills and knowledge; Miroku has his ofudas and spiritual powers.

Akira? Akira has nothing except some psychic powers that he could barely control.

He sees visions, sometimes. Visions of the spirits and of the dead. Surprisingly it helped them solved those cases, where haunting were concerned. He could discern their reason for hanging on to this plane of existence and persuaded them to move on. Unfortunately, the same gift made him melancholic sometimes, and people shy away from him when they sensed his strange behavior.

Akira took out his bento and offered half to Miroku as was the usual custom. Miroku smiled and took some without shame, pointing out cute girls to Akira. That's how they always spent their lunch breaks together, waiting for Sango to join them.

Speaking of which, Akira spied Sango running towards them from a corner. He elbowed Miroku and the two waved at the sprinting girl.

"Guys! I got something to tell you! We got a new job!" Sango chatted excitedly.

"Really? What is it about?" Akira asked.

"Haunting. Seems like it's a really vicious spirit this time round." Sango added.

Miroku smiled. "Really? Who hired us?"

"Higurashi Shrine."

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"Mama, why did you go and hire those quacks?" a high-pitched girlish voice cried, anger and annoyance in her voice.

"Kagome, you know we have no choice." Kagome's mother, Akane, whispered. "We sold that piece of land to the land developers. Now so many accidents happened on their first day of clearing that land. And people are complaining of supernatural attacks. The land developers are threatening to bring us to court and asking for a refund unless we do something about it."

Kagome stomped her feet. "You don't have to hire those quacks. I can handle this. I'm a miko in training."

Akane sighed. "Look darling. You just said so yourself. You are still in training. The spirit is a powerful and vengeful spirit. You can't handle it at your level. Let the experts do their job alright?"

"How do you know they are experts?" Kagome cried. "They are most probably imposters or something."

"Dear daughter, they were recommended by my friend. I trust her, so I'll trust these people also, alright? Now, they themselves also stated in their policy that they would not charge a single cent if they fail."

Kagome looked slightly appeased. "Still I'm going to watch them like a hawk. If they show any signs of cheating us, I'll sue them immediately."

Akane would have said more but suddenly the doorbell rang. "It must be them. Be polite to guests alright, little one?"

Kagome nodded and pasted a sugary smile on her face. Her mother quickly ran to the door. The door opened to reveal three teenagers standing outside, smiling brightly.

"You are.....?" Akane asked hesitantly.

"Good afternoon, Madame. We are the exterminators you asked for. I'm Sango, the one you called this morning, remember?" Sango replied, her face threatening to crack from the wide smile she have.

Akane nodded and let them in. "Welcome, please come in. I just didn't expect you all to be so...."

"Young?" Akira supplied, shaking his head wryly. "We get that a lot."

"I bet." A sarcastic voice replied. It came from a girl, wearing a black top and denim skirt. She had shoulder length wavy brown hair and bright blue eyes. And she looked really familiar.

For a second, Akira stared at her, reminded of the dream he had this morning. Unconsciously his hand moved to his chest, staring at the vision in front of him. Miroku, sensing his friend was spacing out, pat Akira roughly on the back to get his attention. "It's okay, we are used to it."

Akane looked at her daughter meaningfully before smiling. "Forgive my daughter, she's a miko in training too and she's always eager to meet people who are in the same field as she is."

"Hi, my name is Higurashi Kagome." The girl smiled, coming forward and bow stiffly to them.

"Takano Sango."

"Watanabe Miroku." Miroku supplied, rushing forward to hold the girl's hand. "You are indeed a vision from heaven, Kagome-sama. Could you do me a favor?"

Kagome cocked her head but Sango rushed forward and pulled Miroku off. "Don't listen to what he's saying."

Kagome nodded and was amused when Sango thumped Miroku over the head. They act like a typical couple. She turned to look at the last member.

"My name is Yashagawa Akira." Akira bowed slightly deeper than Kagome. Kagome nodded in approval. "Nice to meet you."

Kagome's mother went forward and gestured them to sit down at the sofa. "Actually, I'm sure you guys already knew about the problem. We just want things to be done quickly. So I would appreciate if you could tell me by when can you settle this for me?"

"We'll need to look at the site of haunting, Madame." Akira replied.

"It's actually the forest nearby. Nobody has ever ventured in before. I never heard any stories of it being haunted until recently when the land developers sent people to clear the forest."

"Well, it could be a spirit that doesn't want to be disturbed." Miroku ventured.

"Or a youkai acting as a ghost to scare people away from their habitat." Sango mused.

"Whatever it is, I suggest why not we go and take a look now?" Akira replied, standing up. The two also stood up in agreement. "Madame, we will get back to you after we made a preliminary assessment of the situation."

"Wait." Kagome also stood up. "I want to go with you."

Kagome's mother immediately stood up. "No, Kagome. I forbid you to go."

"Mama, I want to see for myself what kind of spirit is this. Anyway, what kind of miko am I if I can't even subdue vengeful spirits." At Akane's look of protest, she added quickly. "I'll be fine, Mama."

Akane nodded reluctantly. "Be safe, Kagome."

"So how do you guys get rid of vengeful spirits?" Kagome chirped, as they slowly made their way to the forest.

"Well, usually we try to persuade them to move on." Akira replied.

"Persuade them? How?"

"Akira has psychic powers. Sometimes he can see vision by touching something or someone. He usually tries to appeal to the ghosts or fulfill their dying wishes. Once their wishes are fulfilled, they will usually let go of this plane of existence." Sango added.

"Wow...that's so troublesome. Does that means we have to fulfill this vengeful spirit's wishes too. The miko way is much simpler: we just subdue them and force them to go."

"Yah, it's simpler. But ghosts are people once too. They have emotions and dreams and hopes. Most of them who haunt usually died a tragic death. I think it's kinder to fulfill their wishes and let them go away peacefully." Akira argued, feeling a small twinge in his heart at the mention of the word miko. For some reason unknown, that word sent shivers of danger down his spine.

Kagome shrugged. "Perhaps. If it's not too troublesome, I guess I can try to see what that spirit wants. Since it's residing so closely to my house, it might even end up being an ancestor of mine."

The group soon reached the edge of the forest. It was easily identifiable by the abandoned tractors and bulldozers. "Hey, do you all remember? All the workers said they saw hallucinations once they crossed the edge of the forest. Do you think this will happen to us too?" Miroku wondered.

"Be careful. I sense the presence of something strange." Akira warned, a cold shiver running down his spine.

"There's a miko barrier around the forest." Kagome wondered aloud. "It's hiding something inside."

"Come on guys, let's go in." Sango urged, strangely restless.

The moment they all stepped into the forest, they expected something to happen. But nothing happen, save for the chirping of the insects and the sound of birds flying. The leaves waved lazily with the wind, sending shimmers of light down the forest floor. They slowly began to relax their guard.

They walked deeper and deeper into the forest. For hours they walked, but they found nothing.

"Is this a joke?" Akira wondered.

Kagome froze. The forest is strangely familiar for some reason. It sent waves of despair and sadness, emitting an aura of sorrow. "Guys, I think something is wrong."

Miroku and Sango would have said something, but suddenly a cold wind rushed past them. The moment the cold draught come into contact with Sango and Miroku, a wave of sleepiness hit them. Their eyes closed automatically and they collapsed, like puppets whose strings were abruptly cut off.

Akira and Kagome quickly bend forward to check their fallen companions. They seemed to be in a deep sleep. Akira tried to rouse them but they did not respond.

Just then, Kagome suddenly caught sight of a red shadow flying past them. She could sense youki and stood up. Akira looked up at her and she quickly hissed. "Stay here with them, I'm checking something out."

Akira wanted to respond but Kagome swiftly ran away in another direction. He wanted to chase after her but he felt unsafe to leave his two companions alone in this strange forest. As he tried desperately to shake the two awake, he prayed inwardly that Kagome and her training can prepare her for whatever that comes next.

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Kagome ran as she never did before, her lungs burning within her, begging for air. Finally she stopped and panted heavily, her head lowered as she struggled to catch her breath.

When she looked up, a scream tore lose from her throat involuntarily. It was a figure, pinned to a tree by an arrow. Its face was obscured by the curtain of silver hair and its hands were lying limply on its side. Kagome screamed in terror, the sight in front of her was extremely gruesome and disturbing. For moments, her scream echoed in the forest, until it slowly fade away.

Kagome tried to calm down. The forest was eerily quiet. Nothing could be heard, except for the sound of dripping water. Or what least, Kagome thought it was dripping water.

Until she realize it's the sound of dripping blood.

She slowly moved forward, morbidly fascinated and horrified by the scene. She concluded the figure must be a male, from its height and figure. He was clad in an old fashion red kimono with matching haori. And on top of his head, were puppy dog ears.

Wait....puppy dog ears?

This guy is not human, Kagome mused. The figure looked dead, the pool of blood beneath his feet slowly growing. Is he dead? Who murdered him? Is he a youkai?

To her horror, she found herself walking towards the staked figure. Her eyes were drawn to the arrow in his chest. It was the only thing holding him up, beside the vines crawling around him. How long had he been here? Her hand involuntarily reaches out to clasp the arrow.

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Akira looked at his fallen companions and concluded that they were being attacked mentally. Slowly, he began to lay his hands on both of his friends and observed their auras. When he spotted the strange energies curling around them, he quickly pulled mental the bonds off with his psychic powers. Pretty soon, Miroku and Sango regained consciousness.

"Argh....what happened?" Sango grumbled.

"You guys don't remember?" Akira mused. "You all suddenly got knocked out. Hurry, we need to go after Kagome. That stupid girl ran off on her own."

Miroku stood up. "What? Are you kidding me? Her mother's gonna kill us all if we lose her daughter."

"Come on, let's go. Which way did she go?" Sango asked. Akira pointed in a direction and the three took off immediately.

When they finally found Kagome, she was in front of a figure, staked up on the tree. Sango and Miroku and Akira gasped at the same time, though for different reasons. While Sango and Miroku were shocked at the horrifying image before them, Akira was shocked that the scene seemed almost exactly the same from his dream. Suddenly he realized Kagome's fingers had clasped the arrow and she was preparing to pull it out.

"No!" a hoarse cry tore out from him even as the arrow disintegrated into purple lights. For a second, all was peacefully silent. No one seemed to move.

Except for the unknown figure before them.

They watched in slow anticipation, as the figure slowly lifted up his head. Somehow, they should have thought of doing something to do but their whole bodies were frozen in that moment, by an unseen terror. A cracking sound of the bone could be heard as the figure's head slowly came up. The curtain of silver hair part way, only to reveal his features. His eyes, slowly opened as if from a deep sleep.

Only to reveal shinning orbs of fiery red.

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Another bunch of Author notes: For some reason, I decided to up the rating to R because of language and maybe some disturbing scenes (not lemon). So just to play safe, this story will be R. I changed the summary too to suit the story. Feel free to raise questions: though not all may be answered.

To DarklessVasion, Chika of the high Mts, Samieko, Cyan I'd, MizeyRizes: thanks for reviewing. I too, have many questions while writing and I decided to find some answers.DarklessVasion's speculation was very right on the spot; that was my original intention. But as to whether would it change now.....you guys just have to wait and see. Don't worry, I'm still continuing the other story Mou Ichido Dake. So please stay tuned and hang in there.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei.

Author notes: Somehow the idea won't leave me, even after writing that one-shot. So I decided to perhaps convert in into a multi-chapter fic. I don't know if I have the time to consistently update for this; but I do hope I can finish it. If the theme of it is overplayed, forgive me. I've seen many stories of Kagome or Inuyasha as a ghost but I hope my idea is still original enough. In case you guys are wondering, the person having that dream in the prologue is Akira.

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**Chapter 2: Help, my friend is possessed! **

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His eyes, Kagome decided, were strange. They were totally red, except for a ring of blue iris around it. Purple stripes adored his face, giving him a feral look. The figure looked surprisingly fine for someone being staked up, left for dead, and got revived again. His face was familiar too, like she seen him before somewhere.

"Hey, Aki, he....he looks a little bit like you, ne?" Sango whispered nervously, breaking the silence. Akira did not hear her, his mind had almost shut down from the strange specter before them. He's not a human, Akira mused, and he's definitely not alive. The only conclusion is......

He's a ghost.

The spirit did not seem to pay the three any heed, instead his head swerved to focus on Kagome. And then he spoke.

"You are the one who pulled out the arrow and released me?" he questioned softly, his voice melodious yet creepy. At Kagome's nervous nod, he grinned. Blood trickled down his lips as he revealed his sharp fangs. He calmly sliced through the vines holding him up and landed gracefully.

And stepped onto his own pool of blood.

The ghost did not seem to mind, or care. Instead, he focused all his attention on Kagome. "Have you come to finish what you've started? Is that why you unsealed me?"

"What....? What do you mean? I don't even know you." Kagome stammered.

The ghost shook his head sadly, lifting up a finger as if chastising her. "How could you, darling? How could you claim to even forget me? Especially after you shot me through here?" he pointed to his chest. Suddenly, he grinned manically. "Come, I'll let you have a shot. Finish what you've started. Or I will." He spread his arms wide open, as if in an act of sacrifice.

Kagome was confused, and scared. The ghost does not seem sane or peaceful at all. It's a vengeful spirit. And it wants something from her. "I....I think you got the wrong person...erm....I don't know what you are talking. We meant you no harm, you know."

The ghost lowered his hands and peered closely at her, before his face broke out in a wide grin. "Oh yes, my fault, my fault. You are not her. But you do look like her, you know. Well, I guess I just then have to take you with me to hell instead as a substitute first." With that, he calmly walked towards her, his eyes eerily glowing, leaving footsteps of blood in his wake.

Sango, Miroku and Akira looked at each other, pondering on their next course of action. It seemed like the ghost had a lot of grudge and hatred and might even kill. Sango threw a dagger towards the ghost as it approached Kagome but the dagger just flew through him, hitting another tree with a dull thunk. The ghost did not even bother to look at them, his attention now focused entirely on his prey. Kagome stood there, rooted to the spot in fear, and whimpered as the ghost clutched both of her arms in his hands, his sharp claws digging painfully into her flesh. Drops of blood fell from her wound to the ground in silence. The pain brought her back to reality, and Kagome remembered all the years of her miko training. A bright purple light suddenly flood the clearing and the ghost stumbled backwards.

It was offended of course. He looked down at his burnt fingers, as if in amazement before lifting up his head to look at Kagome. The way he gazed at her made her strangely uncomfortable. She felt like he was dissecting her with his gaze, analyzing her like the scientists do in front of a new specimen.

"A miko? You are a miko? I hate all miko. Fucking hyprocrites." He flexed his claws. "Now you die, little girl."

Miroku was about to take out his ofuda when Akira stopped him. "Wait. Don't hurt her. Whatever that happened, that was in the past. We all just want to help you here."

The ghost turned to the three, as if seeing them for the first time. "Help me? Why should you want to help me? Nobody would want to help a creature like me."

"Please....tell us what is holding you back. We'll fulfill your last wishes and you can move on. This plane is of the living, the dead have no place here."

The ghost smiled. Somehow it seemed even more frightening. "Last wishes? Move on? I don't think so, little boy. My last wish is to kill the one who killed me. Since I can't find her, I think I'll satisfy myself first with this little look alike. And then I'll go and find the one who did this to me."

Kagome paled and quickly ran towards the three standing there. The ghost watched her run away with amusement.

Akira whispered softly. "Then the cycle of vengeance would never end. You are already dead. Killing your murderer would not change that fact."

"It would make me happy, very happy in fact." The ghost replied as he advanced towards them.

"But this is not your last wish. I know it."

The ghost cocked his head sideway. "How do you know? You presume too much, little boy."

Akira just stood there, feeling strangely calm. The more he talked to the spirit, the more he felt an understanding with him. It seemed so strange, but he felt a part of his own soul resonated with the spirit in front of him. It was as if they were bonded in ways he could never know. "Spirits don't wish for that in their last moments. Revenge is always the last thing on their mind as they passed on."

The ghost looked annoyed. "You talk too much. Maybe I should kill you first." With that, he suddenly charged towards Akira, his claws poised to kill.

The moment the ghost came into contact with Akira, a bright light flooded the clearing. And as the four mortals raised their hands to shield their eyes from the light instinctively, they suddenly lost consciousness.

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The first thing that Sango saw when she opened her eyes was two pairs of big eyes peering at her intently. She screamed instinctively, pushing the two pairs of big eyes away. A "ouch" could be heard as Miroku and Kagome got pushed backward, their heads knocking into one another.

"What was that for, Sango?" Miroku cried, rubbing his head.

"For staring at me like that, you lecher!" Sango fumed. "What are you guys doing?"

"We were trying to wake you up. You won't open your eyes no matter how we shake you." Kagome supplied helpfully.

"Wake me up?" Sango suddenly took stock of her surroundings. "We are at the edge of the forest? But I thought we entered into the forest? What happened?"

Miroku shook his head. "I don't know. When I opened my eyes, I saw Kagome staring at me. We were all lying at the edge of the forest, unconscious."

Sango scratched her head. "Did we enter into the forest or not? Why it that we will suddenly get knocked out?" then softly, as if speaking to herself, she continued. "Don't tell me just now all that happened was a dream?"

"A Dream? What dream? What did you see Sango?" Miroku asked anxiously.

"I had a dream too." Kagome continued. "I dreamt I pulled out an arrow from a ghost."

"And the ghost wants to kill you." Sango continued.

"And then there's a sudden flash of bright light...." Miroku continued.

"It's not a dream." The three concluded simultaneously.

"How's Akira?" Sango asked, looking around.

"He's still unconscious. I think we better don't stay around here anymore. Let's go back to the shrine." Kagome suggested.

Miroku shrugged. "How are we going to carry him back?"

Sango and Kagome glared at the boy. "You are a man, alright? Just carry your buddy okay."

Miroku sighed and went over to hoist the unconscious boy over his back. "You owe me big time, buddy."

As they reached the courtyard of the shrine, Kagome spied a familiar figure sweeping the floor.

"Kaede-bachan! Kaede-bachan. What are you doing here? Why are you sweeping the floor? Jii-chan asked you to do his chores, didn't he?" Kagome babbled excitedly, happy to see her miko teacher.

"My, my. Kagome, what happened? You reeked of the dead. Did you see a ghost?" Kaede mused, ruffling the girl's hair.

The mention of the supernatural brought Kagome back to reality. "Oh Kaede-bachan. I have so much to tell you. Let me put my friend into a room first, and then I explain what happened okay?"

Kaede nodded and watched as the girl direct the other two strangers into the house, carrying an unconscious boy whose features were obscured by the long black hair. Yet as she watched them going into the house, a gust of wind blew across, revealing part of the boy's face. Kaede froze, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, even as she continued to sweep the floor.

"So you met a ghost." Kaede mused, sipping her hot tea carefully.

"Not just a ghost." Miroku supplied. "A youkai ghost."

"How do you know he's a youkai?" Kaede questioned. "What does he look like?"

Sango chewed on a biscuit. "He had long silver hair, puppy dog ears on his head, and crimson red eyes."

Kaede looked surprise at the last bit of information. "Red eyes? Are you sure?"

Sango nodded. "It was so terrible. He got this huge arrow wound on his chest that kept dripping blood but he doesn't seem to care. His hair was wild, unkempt and his clothes were tattered and torn. He looked so savage and wild, and his eyes were feral, like he wants to eat up all of us."

Kagome shivered. "Yah. It was really creepy. He even dug his claws into my arms. But when I wake up, there was no wound there. But I remembered feeling the pain so acutely, I just don't understand."

Kaede replied thoughtfully. "I think you all never entered into the forest at all."

"What?" the three chorused. "Why?"

"It seemed to me that this spirit is not in the forest of his own free will but was trapped in the forest by someone. Judging by what Kagome describe about the arrow, I think it is the work of a miko. Perhaps this youkai was an evil youkai when he was alive; hence his spirit is subdued and trapped by a miko in the forest. The miko set a barrier around the forest, preventing anyone from entering. All who attempted to enter actually traverse into the spirit realm of the forest, but not the physical realm of it. That is how you all are able to see the spirit who was trapped there. But...."

"But what?"

"Based on what Kagome just said, the spirit seemed to be freed by her. If I am not wrong, the spirit would wreak havoc in the mortal realm now, trying to find his killer. We must subdue this spirit as soon as possible."

"But where can we find this spirit? It could be anywhere by now." Kagome argued.

"Whatever it is, I think we better check on Akira now. I'm getting worried for him." Sango replied, standing up. Kagome stood up too. "Wait, you guys stay here. I'll go and see if he's awake. You are strangers here, and might get lost within the shrine."

* * *

When Kagome slide open the door of the guest room, she never expected Akira to be awake. So it was with great surprise that she saw Akira sitting up stiffly on the futon, his head lowered to the point where his hair covered his face. When Akira heard her coming in, he looked up stiffly.

And Kagome gasped at the sight before her.

It was not Akira who was sitting in front anymore. Angry red eyes glare balefully at her, nails lengthening into something inhuman, inky black hair bleaching into white strands as if by some magic.

Kagome dropped everything she held at that moment and ran. She ran as fast as possible, letting out a piercing scream. The creature gave chase behind her, his maniacal laughter trailing behind him.

Kagome had only one thing on her mind; to find Kaede bachan. She ran, not daring to look back. Her scream attracted the attention of the other occupants; Kaede, Miroku and Sango. They ran out just in time to see Kagome being chased after by the monster they saw in their dreams.

"Help! Help, Kaede-bachan! Save me!" Kagome screamed. The youkai swiped its claws a few centimeters away from her head, slicing off stray strands of hair. Kaede's eyes widen before shaking her head at the sight of the angry youkai. She took out a rosary from her sleeve and started praying.

Before long, the beads in the rosary separated and reformed themselves on the neck of the youkai. Kaede cried out at Kagome who was panting on the floor. "Say a subduing word. Now!"

"What word?" Kagome cried.

"Any word will do. Just calm down his spirit."

Kagome glanced fearfully at the youkai who was charging towards her, stuttering. "O...O..Osuwari."

Immediately, the puppy ears twitched involuntarily as the spirit slammed into the floor by an unseen force. "What the heck?" he cried, standing up again, but Kagome repeated the word again.

"Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari." Kagome panted, until the youkai lay unmoving on the floor.

Sango looked at the youkai and cried. "Great, Kagome, you knocked him out."

Miroku sighed. "Shit, I think if I'm not wrong, that's Akira's body you're smashing, Kagome."

The three teenagers glanced at the unconscious Akira in fear; his hair was still white, and claws adored his fingers. In short, he looked possessed still.

"How could this have happen? Why did the ghost possess Aki?" Sango cried in frustration.

"Don't worry, Sango. We'll get him out and get Aki back in no time." Miroku comforted.

"It's my entire fault." Kagome continued mournfully. "The ghost wants me. I got Akira involved."

Just then, Akira's eyes opened. He sat up suddenly, only to realize his hands and feet were tied up. "What the fuck?" he glared at the three teenagers. "Release me now."

"And let you kill us?" Miroku continued. "No way."

The ghost smirked. "You cannot keep me here forever. I'll get my revenge, I swear."

Just then the door slides open. Kaede walked in slowly. "Stop your ruckus now," she commanded, "Inuyasha."

At the mention of the word Inuyasha, the ghost stilled. Then suddenly as if he's a puppet, he stiffly turned to Kaede. "How do you know my name, baba?"

Kaede gasped. "You are really Inuyasha? Look closer at me, do you remember me?"

Inuyasha peered at the old woman in front of her before exclaiming. "Kaede? Little Kaede? What happened to you? Why do you look so old?"

"Erm...you guys know each other?" Sango whispered nervously.

"I've aged." Kaede replied, not hearing Sango's words at all. "It's been fifty years since I last saw you, Inuyasha."

"Fifty years?" Inuyasha paused. "I've been dead for fifty years?"

Kaede sat down in front of Inuyasha and took his hands into hers. "What happened, Inu-no-niichan? Why are you dead? Why did you become a vengeful spirit now, unable to rest in peace? We were all so worried for you when you suddenly disappeared fifty years ago without a trace. Kikyou onee-sama cried everyday after you was gone, pining away for you."

Inuyasha jerked his hands away from Kaede's. "Fuck, Kaede. She's the one who killed me!"

* * *

Author notes: A big thank you to those who have reviewed: Sarcasm Girl8, chibi-inuyasha-girl, DarklessVasion, Rekkaboziegirl and Mizery Rizes. Sorry for taking so long to update this.....forgive me.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei.

Author notes: Today, I put the author notes on top instead of on the bottom. Hope you guys don't mind. My right wrist actually hurts a little since yesterday and I was wondering if I should lay off typing for a while since exams are coming too and I don't want to strain my hand too much. Haha but I can't resist typing for long...

Many thanks to those who have reviewed: Rekkaboziegirl, GetitCJC, DarklessVasion, chibi-inuyasha-girl, Sarcasm Girl8 and lilly. I would have loved to respond to you guys individually but my wrist still hurts....:) I might be updating slower too because of my wrist too and I actually want to finish my other story first. Gomen ne, minna.

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Chapter 3: Calling For Help

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Kaede gasped. Inuyasha continued, softly this time. "I don't understand. Why did she do that to me? We were so happy together...."

"Are you sure, Inuyasha? Are you sure it's Kikyou onee-sama who killed you?" Kaede cried. "That's impossible; she would never do such a thing."

"I used to think so too." Inuyasha whispered. "What did I do wrong? That she must do this to me? I don't understand...." Then suddenly, his mood changed dramatically again. "I want her blood. Where is she, Kaede?"

Kaede shook her head. "She died a long time ago already. Shortly after you went missing, Kikyou onee-sama was found dead in her room."

Inuyasha looked crushed for a moment. "Dead?" he whispered brokenly. "Dead? How could this be? Who killed her?"

Sango, Miroku and Kagome were all listening intently. Somehow, a small part of their heart began to pity the youkai sitting in front of them. He doesn't look so fierce anymore, or gruesome. Now he looked lost.

Kaede sighed. "We don't know. We just found her lying on the floor that night, without a single wound on her body. The forensic doctor said she died due to excessive blood loss, but we could not find a wound. It was a sensational case at that time."

Inuyasha laughed harshly. "So that bitch escaped from me, huh?" Then suddenly,

he turned to looked at Kagome, a speculative glint in his eyes. "Then this girl must be her

reincarnation right?"

Kagome shuffled. Kaede replied. "How do you know?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Simple, they looked almost the same, smelt almost the same, their aura seemed identical too. And this girl is a miko. All facts added up, don't they?"

"What?" Kagome stuttered. "I'm a murderer?"

"Wait. You judged too harshly, Inuyasha." Kaede continued. "I don't believe that Kikyou onee-sama would ever do such a thing, especially when she loves you so much."

"You think I want to believe that too?" Inuyasha barked. "You are not the one getting a fucking arrow in your chest, shot by the one who's the closest to your heart, left to die there like an animal. You don't understand how I feel," then he continued in a softer tone. "It fucking hurts. So much that I wished I can die a second time just to save myself from the pain."

"You need to move on," Miroku suggested. "Go on to the next world, you'll be happier there."

Inuyasha's eyes glowed eerily. "I can't. The fucking arrow kept me in the forest for years. I don't even know how much time had passed. I spent my time between waking and dreaming; until someone disturbs my rest a few weeks ago. They woke me."

"And you terrorize them?" Sango asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I didn't. They just saw what you guys saw; me pinned to a tree. Somehow those pansies must have scared themselves shitless when they saw me."

"Gee I wonder why." Sango replied sarcastically.

Inuyasha choose not to reply, instead, he stared at Kagome intently. "I want her blood."

Kaede shook her head. "Don't be foolish, Inuyasha. Kagome has the ability to subdue you now and you know it. If I were you, I would leave that boy's body now immediately and move on."

"Move on? How?" Inuyasha asked softly. "I wished to move on too. But I don't know how to."

Miroku cleared his throat. "If a spirit lingers here, it must be due to some reasons. Usually it's some unfulfilled wish. If you have any desires, or wishes before you died that is not fulfill, it might be a reason why you cannot leave."

Inuyasha looked thoughtful. "Really? But actually....I cannot really remember my last thoughts very clearly. All I remember was pain, a great deal of it, then I blacked out and the next moment, I'm in the forest."

"What do you want now, Inuyasha?" Kaede asked. "What will make you happy?"

"Need you ask? I want Kikyou's life." Inuyasha growled.

Suddenly, Inuyasha lurched forward, a strange gurgling sound emitting from his throat. When he lifted himself up, the white hair darkened into inky strands, puppy ears disappeared and his eyes returned to their usual violet color.

"What happened?" Kagome asked.

"I think Akira is taking back possession of his own body." Kaede replied, watching the transformation with great interest.

Akira's eyes were emotionless, his face slackened into an unreadable mask. "No, that's not his last wish." His voice whispered softly. "He just wants answers."

"Answers to what?" Kaede asked.

Akira cocked his head, as if listening to a voice only he could hear. "He wants to know why Kikyou shot him. That's all."

"And if we cannot find the answers?" Miroku asked. "You can hear him?"

Akira nodded. "He's still possessing me. But I pushed him back. His voice is at the back of my mind. He says he will never leave as long as he doesn't get his answers."

Sango looked horrified. "Then what now? We have to get him out of you."

Akira looked about helplessly. "He refuses to go. I cannot shake him off."

Kaede narrowed her eyes. "It is not like Inuyasha to be so stubborn about something. Tell him if he doesn't come out peacefully, I'll exorcise him."

"He can hear you. And he says he doesn't care. He will rather dissipate into thin air than to carry those questions with him to the other world." Akira replied. Then he looked distracted for a moment before continuing. "I think we should help him."

"Why?" Sango and Miroku cried.

Akira shrugged. "No reason. I just think we should." Then he paused for a while before continuing. "We have come to a compromise. He would not try to take control over my body again as long as we help him find those answers."

Kagome shuffled uneasily. "How do we find those answers? What if I'm Kikyou's reincarnation? Does that means I have to give him an explanation?"

Sango patted Kagome's head in comfort. "Don't worry. I don't think you are Kikyou's reincarnation. You don't seem like the type to kill anyone."

Miroku added. "Yah. Even if you are her reincarnation, you are not responsible for her actions. You are you, and Kikyou is Kikyou."

Kaede shook her head. "I still don't believe Kikyou onee-sama would kill Inuyasha." Then with great effort Kaede stood up, "Kagome, I need to return back to my place now. If you ever need help, look for me at my apartment alright? As for Inuyasha, you can subdue him with the rosary so there should be no problems for now. Take care."

Kagome nodded. "Thank you, Kaede-bachan."

"Look for me tomorrow. I will tell you everything that I know about Inuyasha and Kikyou. Perhaps that might shed some clue to your mystery."

Kagome nodded and watched with sadness as Kaede hobbled away into the fading sunset.

"Erm, no offenses or anything," Akira muttered. "But could you guys untie me first?"

Miroku and Sango quickly made short work of the ropes. Akira rubbed his wrists painfully and sighed. "New wounds on the job. I need to claim medical expenses."

Kagome looked at him oddly. "You are not worried about being possessed by a vengeful spirit?"

Akira shrugged. "The way I see things go, you guys should be more worried than me. As for me, I always follow this policy: change what you can change, and those that you cannot change, even if you worry it won't change a thing. So there's no need for worries."

Kagome gapped at him. "You are so optimistic."

Sango sighed. "No, actually I consider him to be insane."

"So what should our first step be?" Miroku questioned softly.

Akira rubbed his head thoughtfully. "Well, if Kikyou is not reincarnated, her soul might still be in the other world. We could try to get a medium or something to summon her spirit. If we can get her spirit, we can ask her why and all mysteries would be solved. Simple?"

"Ya, too simple if you ask me." Miroku replied.

"Well I'm not asking you." Akira chirped.

Sango sighed. "Miroku might be right. We need to think of a back-up plan. If this is going to be our new case, we need to find out as much information about this as possible. Fifty years might be a long time, but some of the people involved might not be dead yet."

Kagome nodded. "I'll go and look for Kaede-bachan tomorrow. You guys can go ahead and try to summon Kikyou's spirit. We meet up again late afternoon tomorrow to exchange findings?"

Akira, Sango and Miroku nodded. "So does that means Kagome is part of our agency now?" Miroku piped.

"Only for this case." Kagome replied. "Only for this case."

* * *

The next morning, Kagome set off to find Kaede in her apartment, brewing tea.

"Kagome, you are here so early. Come have a seat. Do you want some tea?"

"Yes please." Kagome replied, sitting herself in a comfortable position. "Kaede-bachan, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think I'm really Kikyou's reincarnation?"

Kaede poured the tea into the cups carefully. "To tell you the truth, I believe there is a high possibility that you might be my sister's reincarnation."

Kagome looked crushed. "Is that why you offer to train me in the arts of miko? Because of that?"

Kaede shook her head. "Of course not, dear. I trained you because you have the potential, not because of my sister. My sister died a long time ago and I accepted that. You are Kagome, not Kikyou and I always remember that."

Kagome nodded, smiling shakily. "Inuyasha....his name is Inuyasha ne? Who is he? How is he related to your sister, Kikyou?"

Kaede sighed. "That is a long story. I'll try to tell the story as best as I could, but remember, I was a young girl at that time and I don't understand a lot of things."

* * *

_My sister, Kikyou, was a miko. Back in those times, we were still living in a small village despite industrialization and the wars. Kikyou onee-sama was a gifted priestess. One day, she met a hanyou named Inuyasha. I don't know how they got to know each other. I remember Inuyasha often came over and see my sister. Soon, they began to fall in love with each other._

_It turned out that Inuyasha came from a rich family. He was the second son of the famous Taiyoukai; InuTaisho of the Western Lands. Needless to say, his family was unhappy that he fell in love with a human, a Miko no less. They forced him to break off all contacts with my sister, but he refused. He left home and married my sister. My sister too, was looked down upon by all her fellow miko-in-training. They laughed and spit at her for 'defiling' herself with a half-breed. Although they faced oppositions on many sides, they continued to love each other deeply. Life to them, were full of bliss even though they were extremely poor. Inuyasha, coming from a rich family, has no knowledge of how to live in a rural farm. Nevertheless, he is willing to learn for my sister's sake. They spent three happy years together._

_However, one day my sister fell sick. It began as a small cough, but grew to become more and more serious. I watched as my sister's health deteriorates day by day. Inuyasha was extremely worried. We could not afford the proper healthcare services for my sister then. Japan was extremely poor after her defeat during World War II and medical care was not easy to get. Inuyasha worked very hard, holding a few jobs at one time, just to earn enough money to feed us and get a doctor for my sister. I watched as they suffered; my sister being tortured by the sickness, and Inuyasha nearly collapsing from exhaustion from work. Nobody helped them; all my sister's friends deserted her, saying it's her retribution for loving a hanyou. Inuyasha treated my sister very well; he always rather starves himself than to let me or my sister go hungry. Of course, he would cover up by saying he's not a weak human like us, but we all know the truth. It only made my sister sadder._

_Then one day, things seemed to change for the better. A new doctor was in town. He looks at my sister and gave my sister some medicine free of charge. Inuyasha thanked him profusely. My sister got better after drinking the medicine and it seem finally, that their spell of bad luck is over._

_But one day, in August, Inuyasha went out in a fit of anger and never came back. My sister and I tried to search for him but could never find him. The villagers refused to help us. My sister wept everyday, pinning away for him. Until two weeks later, I found my sister lying on her bed, dead. I called the police and they took me away. My sister's master, who taught her miko arts, took me in. And I never heard from Inuyasha again......_

* * *

Kagome had tears in her eyes when she finished hearing the story. "I can't believe this. It's such a romantic story. But why did Inuyasha claim that Kikyou killed him?"

Kaede shrugged. "That's the part I don't understand. My sister really loved him. And he really loves my sister. When I was younger, I thought maybe Inuyasha abandoned us. But now I realized it's not so. He didn't return because he was dead."

Kagome nodded. "I see. But why did you call him a hanyou? I thought he was a youkai?"

Kaede shook her head. "Inuyasha was a hanyou. His mother was human. Wait a while; I have some old photos of them. I'll go and retrieve them."

Kaede came back with some yellowish pictures. Kagome took them over carefully and gasped.

The picture showed a couple smiling into the camera. The women looked a few years older than her, but shared a distinct resemblance. She must be Kikyou, Kagome reasoned. Her gaze then turned to the male in the picture. It was Inuyasha. Her heart ached when she saw the two smiling happily into the camera, their happiness palpable to anyone who could sense it.

_They were so happy together. What happened?_

Kagome suddenly realized something as she looked at the Inuyasha in the picture. Inuyasha had no purple stripes on his face and his eyes were not red.

"Kaede-bachan. Why does Inuyasha look like this? He looked different from the Inuyasha I saw yesterday."

Kaede nodded. "I was puzzled too. The Inuyasha at your shrine looked like a full-youkai Inuyasha. But Inuyasha was a hanyou, he only looked like that when he was threatened or angry. Usually he doesn't have stripes on his face and his eyes were not red; they were amber."

"Then what happened?"

Kaede sighed. "The only conclusion I can come up with, is that the Inuyasha in your house is not the real Inuyasha."

"Not the real Inuyasha?" Kagome shrieked. "Then who is Inuyasha?"

* * *

Remember to review ne, minna.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei.

Author notes: Sorry for taking so long, minna.... Gomen

Btw...I tried something new. I put Inuyasha's conversations when he's possessing Akira as bold....hope you guys don't mind.....:)

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**Chapter 4: Shikon No Tama**

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"Are you sure this will work, Miroku?" Akira mumbled, gesturing at all the ofudas lying haphazardly around his apartment. 

"Trust me," Miroku patted his chest. "I got these from a reliable source."

Akira sighed. "It's not that I don't want to trust you, Miroku. It's just that I didn't expect that you can even DIY spirit summoning."

Sango sighed, pasting another ofuda in place. "I guess we are working on a tight budget here, aren't we?"

Miroku stared at Sango's behind and his hand automatically wandered. Sango instinctively slapped him. "Ouch." Miroku cried, rubbing his face.

"How dare you, you stupid lecher?" Sango cried. Akira sighed, some things would never change. "Come on guys, I didn't skip lectures to hear you two arguing alright?"

"Hey I skip lectures too. And I can't even catch up with my readings." Miroku added.

Sango retorted. "You don't need to go lectures, Miroku. You just fall asleep anyway."

Miroku grumbled. "Sango, you are supposed to side with me."

Akira laughed. All the ofudas were in place now. "Come on, we can get start now."

* * *

Kaede quickly pacify the panicking girl in front of her. "Calm down. Maybe I should not use that phrase. The spirit is Inuyasha, or at least, part of Inuyasha." 

"Part of Inuyasha?" Kagome shrieked in a higher tone. "Which part? What part? He's divided into parts…Oh my goodness." Kagome started to fan herself to prevent herself from fainting.

"No no…no. I mean that spirit is Inuyasha's youkai half. That's the only explanation I can come up with. Inuyasha is a hanyou. His soul comprises of his human heart and youkai strength. That spirit might be his youkai soul. But I don't understand one thing; how can a soul be divided like this?" Kaede replied.

Kagome could felt a big headache forming. "If what you say is true, Kaede-bachan, then where is Inuyasha's human half?"

Kaede mused. "Most probably the human half is reincarnated already. And I think you know that person too."

Kagome stopped to think about it. "You mean Akira?" Suddenly all the puzzles seemed to fit. Akira looked a lot like Inuyasha, minus the coloring of the hair, eyes and claws, they could almost be twins.

"That boy might be Inuyasha's human half's reincarnation. But if it is so, then things are going to get very complicated." Kaede mused.

"Why?"

"Because only Inuyasha himself knows the full details of what happened in the past. The Inuyasha now most probably only remembered bits and portions of his life while Akira might have the key to the rest. But as long as the two portions of the soul remain separated, you might never know the full story of what really happened that fateful night."

"Is there anyway for us to merge their souls then?"

Kaede shook her head. "Not that I know of. This is such a rare case, that I can only speculate on the technical details. I believe it may have something to do with the way Inuyasha died; but since the spirit cannot remember, I guess we'll never know what really happened."

Kagome nodded. "I understand. I'll go and tell them about this. Thank you so much, Kaede-bachan."

* * *

"This is not gonna work." Akira grumbled, staring at Miroku. "We've been at it for three hours straight and there's nothing at all. Are you sure you got the right instructions?" 

"Patience." Miroku chastised. "You need to have patience for such things."

"But that's what you've been saying for the past two and half hours." Sango yawned. "Honestly speaking, I don't think it's gonna work."

"You guys should have a little more faith in me." Miroku grumbled.

Suddenly, Akira slumped forward. When he lifted up his head, his eyes were glowing red although his hair remained black. Miroku and Sango however, does not seem surprise anymore.

"**Gee, I cannot stand it anymore. Why can't you guys just get it through your thick skulls that little missy over there is Kikyou's reincarnation and stop trying to do futile things like this? It really irritates me, you know."**

Sango sighed. "Not again. We are not going to have this argument again. You've been repeatedly taking over Akira's body for the past two hours saying the same thing over and over again. Aren't you tired of it?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "**I am. But I'm also pretty tired of staring at you guys wasting your breath."**

Akira, through his mental eye, could still see what was happening outside. He smiled inwardly. To tell the truth, he was the one who collaborated with Inuyasha to try and persuade them to give up. Because he just doesn't trust DIY jobs.

_I don't care what Miroku says. I rather spend some money to hire someone reliable._

Suddenly, he felt a familiar dizziness sweeping through him. _Is it a vision? _He wondered as his eyes closed automatically.

_When he opened his eyes again, he saw a man rowing a boat, coupled with a woman's laughter. _

_"Damn it, Kikyou, don't tickle me." The man laughed. "I'm rowing us back to shore you know."_

_Akira's eyes widen. The man in front of him was Inuyasha. But he looked slightly different, younger, and more lively. His hair was neatly tied up in a loose ponytail, and he does not have purple stripes on his cheeks. Akira gasped when he noticed that the youkai's eyes were not crimson red but a soft hue of molten gold. He rowed the boat with expertise, wearing a red haori and hakama that seemed identical to that of the spirit's._

_The woman, Akira decided, was beautiful. She looked a little like Kagome, but whereas Kagome was energetic and lively, this woman excludes an aura of calmness and serenity. Akira stared closer at the woman and froze._

_It was the woman who shot him in his dreams._

_Akira tried to fight away the panic in his heart. Suddenly the dreams seemed to make sense. Could they be dreams of Inuyasha's death? If so, why would he have those dreams? He didn't meet Inuyasha until yesterday, and those dreams started since two weeks ago. Something is still missing, a piece of the puzzle._

_The woman embraced Inuyasha gently, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. Inuyasha growled and kissed her on her lips. It was an intense kiss, like that kind you see on movies before the couples would make love. It made Akira blushed._

_"I love you, Kikyou." Inuyasha proclaimed, gently tucking a stray strand of hair away from her face._

_"I love you too, Inuyasha." Kikyou smiled, love shinning in her eyes. The sun was setting at that moment, casting a beautiful orange yellow glow on the surface of the lake and highlighting the couple. It looked like a picture from heaven, a scene of utopia. _

_"It's beginning, Kikyou." Inuyasha grumbled. "It's the new moon tonight."_

_Akira wondered what he meant, when suddenly he observed something strange. Inuyasha's hair started to darken, his claws shrinking, his ears disappearing. His eyes began to darken too, until they lose their molten shine._

_And became pools of violet._

_Akira froze in horror. In Kikyou's arms were a man, a man who looked like him, except for being older and the differences in dressing,_

_Kikyou smiled and hugged him tightly. "I'll always love you, whether you are a youkai, a hanyou, or a human."_

When Akira opened his eyes again, he found his two friends staring at him in wonder.

"What happened?" Akira clutched his head.

"I dunno. You just suddenly blacked out." Sango supplied helpfully, helping him up.

"What did you see?" Miroku asked, passing Akira a cup of water. Akira took over the cup but said nothing. Inwardly he was trying to communicate with Inuyasha.

_Inuyasha? Are you there?_

_**Yah.**_

_Did you see what I saw?_

_**Yah.**_

_Is it your doing?_

_**Yah…no I mean no.**_

_Yes or no?_

_**No.**_

_You sure?_

_**Yah. I didn't even remember that scene until I saw it in your vision.**_

_You mean you can turn human? _

_**I don't know. I cannot remember.**_

_You cannot remember your life before?_

_**I can. But I can only remember roughly what happen. Some parts of my memories are a sketchy blank.**_

_Why didn't you say so earlier?_

_**I don't know. I just realize it when I saw that vision of yours.**_

_You mean you don't remember doing that with Kikyou?_

_**I might have. But I cannot remember. I cannot remember a lot of things.**_

Akira would have said something more, but Miroku shook him roughly to get his attention.

"What's wrong, Aki? Why are you spacing out?" Miroku asked, concern for him written all over his face.

Akira shook his head. Miroku continued. "So what did you see?"

Akira wasn't sure how to explain to his friends. "I don't know if I saw a vision or a memory. I saw Kikyou and Inuyasha together, they were very happy. And then…"

Just then, a familiar tune began to play. Akira, Sango and Miroku jumped out of their skin.

"Sorry, it's my cell phone." Miroku answered sheepishly while Akira glared at him. "Moshi moshi?" The conversation continued for a while before Miroku hanged up.

"It's Kagome. She wants to meet us now, at Ueno Park."

* * *

Ueno Park is a really big place, full of tourists wandering. Akira smiled as a girl accidentally stepped his toes before running away. Finally, after a few minutes of searching, they found the girl sitting at a small café. 

"What took you guys so long?" she huffed, putting aside the magazine she had been reading.

"Sorry. It's all Akira's fault actually." Miroku smiled, pointing at the boy.

"Me?" Akira looked affronted but chose to say nothing.

Kagome smiled. "Anyway were you guys successful?"

The three shook their heads. Kagome looked dejected for a moment before smiling again. "Well, it's okay. This is what I learnt so far…."

After Kagome had finish relating her portion of her findings, Akira stood up stiffly, turning to walk away.

"Akira, where are you going?" Kagome shouted, earning a few curious glances from the nearby tourists.

Akira stopped. "I'm going away. This is too ridiculous. I don't believe I'm some reincarnation of hanyou whose soul got split into half." But even as these words leave his mouth, a part of him felt the truth in Kagome's words.

Suddenly, Akira bent down in agony. A mist appeared before him and he realized it was the spirit of Inuyasha, or at least, dubbed Youkai part of Inuyasha.

The youkai looked pissed off too. **"**I don't believe a fucking shit of what you just said, Kagome." Inuyasha glared at Akira. "I'm Inuyasha."

"We never said you are not." Sango answered, trying to act calm. Miroku thought that they were lucky people around thought they were talking to Akira. Otherwise they'll freak out at the sight of some teenagers talking to thin air.

Inuyasha and Akira looked at each other. "Maybe it has something to do with the way you….erm….passed away?" Miroku tried to suggest delicately.

"I don't remember." Inuyasha replied flatly.

Akira looked disturbed. "Actually…I think I might have an idea. But I'm not sure."

"What?" the three chorused. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Look, I didn't realize that my dreams were connected, okay?" Akira snapped. "It's really disturbing and I don't want to share about it unless necessary."

Inuyasha looked at Akira. "Dreams?"

"I've been having dreams recently." Akira started. "In them, I was running. Then someone shot me. And I died."

"That's all?" Sango, Miroku and Kagome asked simultaneously.

Akira shook his head. "No, that's not all. I didn't die immediately from the arrow. The arrow did something to me. After it hit me, I felt excruciating pain. It hurts so much, like my body is on fire."

Inuyasha looked disturbed. "I don't want to hear about this anymore."

Akira looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. I understand how you feel. I don't want to talk about it either. But it might help in clearing up some mysteries. This case already has too many questions. We don't need more."

Inuyasha nodded. The two began sitting down again, Inuyasha occupying the empty chair besides Akira. The two of them had similar expressions, and could almost be mistaken as twins if not for their coloring and Inuyasha's ears.

"Then I remembered slumping forward and feeling surprise that my hair turned black. I don't know why I was so shocked. I saw my killer, and I asked her why she did this to me."

The three were enthralled by Akira's tale. "What did she say?"

"She said she loved him. That's why. I don't understand. I watched as she walked away, leaving me in the darkness. The only thing I felt was pain, physically and mentally and emotionally. Questions gnawed at my heart, threatening to drive me mad. After some time later, I wanted to pull the arrow out but before I could, I think I died."

Kagome looked visibly upset. "That's so horrible."

Inuyasha looked away. "My death was almost exactly the way you describe it. But I cannot remember the last part. The last thing I remembered was pain, before I lost consciousness."

"Why is there a difference?" Sango asked.

Kagome thought for a moment, before understanding shone in her eyes. "Oh my, it was the Hama no Ya isn't it?"

"What is a Hama no Ya?" the three asked.

"It's an arrow infused with spiritual energy of the miko designed to purify youkai. If Inuyasha is truly a hanyou, the purification won't kill him. But he'll most probably turn human. And if he's human….." Kagome trailed off uncertainly.

"He can't have survived with an arrow in his chest right?" Miroku concluded grimly, stealing a glance at Akira. Akira and Inuyasha looked at each other, their faces pale and ghastly.

"So we conclude Inuyasha actually died as a human?" Sango continued. "How come his soul will be split into two parts?"

Kagome bit her lower lips. "Maybe….I'm saying just maybe….that when Kikyou shot that arrow, it actually sealed the youkai portion of Inuyasha's soul onto that tree. That's why the Inuyasha now could only remember up till the part where he was shot. But the human portion of Inuyasha survived till the end, and since Inuyasha died as a human, his human soul departed and was reincarnated."

"Just how much of this is actually the truth?" Akira asked dully. "It's all speculations right?"

"But you must admit the facts do match right?" Kagome retorted. "You must be Inuyasha's reincarnation."

Akira looked at Kagome before snapping. "Then you are Kikyou's right? How could you just jump to conclusions so quickly?"

"The thing is that's the only plausible explanation." Kagome shouted. "Why are you so stubborn?"

Akira stood up. "I'm stubborn? Why don't you just put yourself in my shoes? How would you feel if someone suddenly tell you you are the reincarnation of a hanyou whose part of the soul is wandering around, unable to rest in peace? I am Yashagawa Akira, not Inuyasha. I don't want to be anybody's reincarnation."

Kagome stood up angrily too. "Then you think I want to be labeled as the reincarnation of a killer? If that's the cards the fates dealt us, we can't do a single thing about it. And denial is not going to help. If I'm really Kikyou's reincarnation, at least I can stand up and admit it. How about you? You can't even accept that fact."

Sango and Miroku also stood up, trying to calm down the quarreling couple. Inuyasha simply sat there, his face a stoic mask. Finally he spoke.

"I don't fucking care whose's whose reincarnation now. I just want to know one thing. I don't care about the rest."

Akira looked at Inuyasha before nodding. "You're right. The key question is, why did Kikyou kill Inuyasha? The rest of the problems can be secondary."

Miroku sighed in relief. "So we should concentrate on our task before hand right? But we are no closer to our aim than before."

Sango and Kagome sat down. Kagome looked peeved but calmed considerably. "Let's see. Kikyou killed Inuyasha and then some time later she died. Does anybody find it suspicious? Why would anyone want to kill Kikyou?" Sango asked, trying to analyze the case in her mind.

Kagome looked thoughtful. "Could it be she knows something and someone wants to silence her? Or she's holding something valuable and someone tried to steal it away from her?"

Inuyasha had a far away gaze on his face. "Shikon no Tama…"

* * *

To my darling reviewers: 

DarklessVasion: You guessed right.....in one of your reviews.....

chibi-inuyasha-girl: Thanks..I aim to puzzle you.

Alasse Tiwele: I'm sorry about the grammatical errors....can't seem to drive them away

Eolande: thanks....

Sarcasm Girl8: thanks for reviewing

weee: please don't come after me....i'm scared now

Kayzer: thanks for reviewing for both stories....:)

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